


Olympus Preparatory Academy for the Divine

by daalex



Category: Lore Olympus (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Eventual Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, High School, Teen Crush, Teen Romance, Teenage Drama, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:27:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26625940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daalex/pseuds/daalex
Summary: A pair of ocean blue eyes peered at Persephone from across the bustling wave of students.  The blue eyes belonged to a very tall, very handsome boy, with hair the color of diamond dust, strewn about the top of his head.  He was dressed very nicely and had cerulean skin that was the perfect hue of blue one could only find in the nighttime sky just as the sun was beginning to set. A pointed nose rested above a grin; was he smiling at her? He most certainly seemed to be smiling at her.  She felt herself blush deeply—her mother had warned that boys were conniving, dangerous, and all of them only wanted one thing and one thing only.  But this boy? This smile of his? That soft dimple that creased as the word “Wow,” tumbled off of his lips? That response, after seeing her? In this moment, that was all she had ever wanted in her seventeen years of existence."Wow," the boy spoke.  "She's... she's agoddess."Their eyes locked, and it was like a spark of electricity pierced her heart and raced back to his with the current, linking them together.Welcome to the tale of Hades Rusor and Persephone Ceres, students at the prestige high school for deities and other beings: Olympus Preparatory Academy for the Divine.
Relationships: Hades/Persephone (Lore Olympus)
Comments: 49
Kudos: 141





	1. Be Not Afraid

**Author's Note:**

  * For [veraspen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/veraspen/gifts).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> inspired by some of the absolutely amazing fan art drawn by ameezies! please give her a follow [here](https://www.instagram.com/ameezies)! thank you for letting me take the reins on this fic, i hope that i make you proud.  
> housekeeping note -- this won't be like my usual brand of writing. so, i hope you enjoy some teenage angst and fluff.

A new city, and a new school, meant that Persephone Ceres could truly have a fresh start; or, as close to a new beginning that she could possibly get. Olympus Preparatory Academy for the Divine was the prestige high school for deities, nymphs, daemons, fae, other worldly creatures, and a few select mortals. The grandiose campus could be a little intimidating to the average onlooker, with tall ceilings atop polished marble walls that housed lockers that could have been made from platinum forged by Hephaestus himself. Numerous students wove in between one another, hurrying to their next class during the passing period. Persephone stopped as the others rushed past her, craning her head up to look around. Her heart was racing; she found herself a little overwhelmed while climbing the stairs, navigating through the gods goddesses, and myriad of other beings while she did her best to find her way based upon her school map and schedule. It was difficult to discern anything being said by the other students; the hallway was noisy with their constant chatter. But the words from her mother resonated in her mind: 

_“There is only one of you that exists amidst the realms, my flower. You have come entirely too far to give up before you’ve started. The time will come that others shall depend and rely upon what you are honing to be your unique gifts… it is not for others to understand, but for you to know—you have not even tapped into your potential yet, child. Be not afraid.”_

“Be not afraid?” Persephone whispered to herself, hugging her books to her chest. “Mama I don’t always understand you, but I guess I can give it a shot.”

Following the map, she turned left at the top of the stairwell, focused on matching the room numbers to the grid on the paper in front of her. The corresponding numbers were confusing, Persephone noticed, but she was determined to make it to her next class before the bell rang. Dressed in a baggy shirt and khaki pants (some of her mother’s old clothes), she wished that she had something new for her first day in a new school. Seeing all of the designer dresses and latest trends on the other students made her feel a little out of style; but her mother stated that it was more efficient to reuse what they already owned. She had every ambition of making the best of her junior year of high school, starting with the very first day at OPA. Yet everything was going wrong-- she was running late, tripped walking into the building, had forgotten her one of her books at home, and was a little embarrassed by her clothing choice. Persephone came to a stop near a wall of lockers. She realized that the more she pushed down the hall, the more lost she became, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as it dawned on her the reason was that her map was held upside down. Huffing in frustration, she leaned against the wall behind her, taking a moment to gather her composure.

“Stupid village girl,” she muttered under her breath. “This day can’t get any worse.” 

She closed her eyes and tucked a random strand of hair behind her ear, silently cursing herself for being so careless. Passing period was only a few minutes long, and she did not want there to be any mistakes. However, she found that her admonishment was cut short – a pair of ocean blue eyes peered at her from across the bustling wave of students. The blue eyes belonged to a very tall, very handsome boy, with hair the color of diamond dust, strewn about the top of his head. He was dressed very nicely with a white button up top beneath a grey sweater, with cerulean skin that was the perfect hue of blue one could only find in the nighttime sky just as the sun was beginning to set. A pointed nose rested above a big grin; was he smiling at her? He most certainly seemed to be smiling at her. Persephone felt herself flush, blushing deeply—her mother had warned that boys were conniving, dangerous, and all of them only wanted one thing and one thing only. But this boy? This smile of his? That soft dimple that creased as the word “Wow,” tumbled off of his lips? _That_ response, after seeing _her_? In this moment, that was all she had ever wanted in her seventeen years of existence.

Persephone found herself smiling back, shrugging her bag over her shoulder, and before she realized, blue flowers had suddenly appeared atop her bangs: a crown of forget-me-nots. 

“ _Sugar_ _snaps_!” she whispered, and darted away with a trail of petals following, hoping that the handsome boy with the heart-melting smile wouldn’t think she was too weird. 

“Wait!” he called, but it was drowned out in the clamor of the other students.

“Dude, I haven’t seen you smitten like that in forever,” a shorter, green god quipped, shoving his brother in the shoulder.

“Cut it out, Posey,” he scoffed.

“Holy fates, was that a flower nymph?” a violet-hued young man asked.

They were the Rusor brothers: Hades, Zeus, and Poseidon. Hades, a senior, was the eldest and most intelligent of the three. Zeus and Poseidon were twins, both juniors in school, although Poseidon was older by six minutes. The twins had identical facial features, save for a long scar over Poseidon’s eye. Still, there was no difficulty in telling which twin was which; the boys still wore their hair long down their backs, yet Zeus was purple in appearance, and Poseidon an emerald green. Both still only came to Hades’ shoulder in height, and both hated it. Poseidon was the laid back, goofy twin, whereas Zeus was the ladies man and social butterfly, charming his way into, and out of, whatever situation he could.

“Another thing,” Zeus continued, “Why is she wearing those old clothes?”

“Why are you always worried about what someone’s wearing?” Poseidon sighed, frustrated.

“The better to imagine taking it off!” He wagged his eyebrows in a dastardly motion, and Hades elbowed him in his side.

“You’re a pervert,” Poseidon added. “What if someone said something like that about Ma?”

“But… Ma is _Ma_ , and that’s somebody _else_.”

Hades' heart beat like a drum within his chest. Slow, steady; deliberate. That girl was absolutely stunning. It didn’t matter if her clothes were brand new or salvaged straight from Tartarus. He kept watching her move through the sea of students heading to their next class, still smiling so hard it practically hurt.

“Somebody else?” he asked. “She’s… she’s a **_goddess_ **.” 

“Nah… that’s a flower nymph,” Zeus replied, jumping to try to catch a glimpse of the pink woman as she blended into the crowd. “I mean, look at how exotic she is!”

“I’m done having this conversation,” Hades stated. “See you suckers at home.”

* * *

Persephone hurried through the mass of students; passing period was nearly over, and she still needed to make it to the other end of the hallway. But the numbers on her map were nothing but a blur, as she found herself thinking of the handsome boy with the handsome smile. Sure, she made a fool of herself with the sudden explosion of flowers. She really had to work to get her powers under control. But there was nothing wrong with trying to sneak one last glance at him, right?

She stopped to turn back, moving to the side of the hall to get a better peek. Surely enough, the flirty boy with the ocean blue eyes was watching her, still smiling. Their eyes locked, and it was like a spark of electricity pierced her heart and raced back to his with the current, linking them together.

A red nymph stood adjacent to Persephone, feigning false interest in filing her nails, but the scowl on her face indicated that she had witnessed something she didn’t necessarily care for. Her hair was blood red, pulled atop her head in a slick ponytail that showed off her high cheekbones and sharp, pointed ears. She wore a black crop top and a miniskirt with fishnet stockings tucked into knee high boots. Next to her was an oceanid, with webbed ears that perked up beneath her bouncy, cream colored locks. Skin like seafoam in a turquoise blue mini dress and heels; she stood next to her counterpart taking an interest in the unspoken dynamics of what was due to transpire.

The grey nymph leaned into the other’s shoulder, neither of them taking their eyes off of Persephone.

“Seems that your leftovers has his eye set on someone new,” Thetis chuckled.

“I don’t see why,” Minthe replied. “Those tacky hand me down clothes are horrible. I’ve seen better clothes in the trash.”

“I don’t know, there’s something about her.”

“Something or nothing – I don’t care. Anybody Hades tries to set sights on won’t ever compare to me.”

Minthe Elise was a senior, like Hades. She and Hades briefly dated two years ago but split for… very irreconcilable reasons. Thetis Nereus was a junior, and Minthe’s best friend, despite the fact that she regularly talked shit behind Minthe’s back. The two were a toxic, perfect match: catty, gossiping drama queens that maintained the belief of being better than everyone else and fed off of one another’s disdain for those they didn’t care for.

“Looks like our new flower nymph friend is lost,” Thetis sang in a sarcastic tone.

“You know, my dear friend, you are absolutely correct,” Minthe replied, grinning with a conniving look on her face. “We should offer this little flower some directions; get her going the right way.”

“Shall we?”

“Let’s.”

The two students approached the still blushing Persephone, cornering her against the wall.

“Hey there, Pinky,” Minthe grinned maliciously. “You must be new.”

Persephone squeaked, seeing the slender nymph before her. She was so lost in her thoughts that she did not see her approach.

“I see you have your map in hand,” Thetis added. “What class are you heading to?” 

“Oh. Um… Hello,” Persephone replied, softly. “I’m looking for Professor Athena’s Econ class.”

Minthe snatched Persephone’s schedule from her hands and held it up in the air. As if on cue, Thetis pulled a pen from within her blouse and offered it to the devious nymph, who then began to draw a path for Persephone to follow.

“It’s a good thing you ran into me, you know,” Minthe argued. “Looks like you’ve got an outdated map.”

“Oh no, what a shame,” Thetis added, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

“But, if you follow this route here,” Minthe continued, still scrawling on Persephone’s map. “You’ll be able to find it just fine. And don’t worry about being late – it is the first day. No one cares.”

“Gosh, um, thank you!” Persephone beamed, taking the map, and walking away.

“Don’t mention it!” Thetis called. And as Persephone turned her back, the two nymphs gave one another a high five, cackling as they walked on to their next class.

Persephone thought it was peculiar that the map the red nymph drew for her led to the emergency exit stairwell but dismissed her hesitance since she was in a hurry to make it to class. Sure, the woman said that people didn’t care if you were late on the first day, but Persephone very much cared. She wanted to make a good impression and would take whatever aid she could in seeing that to fruition. Quickly, she climbed the stairs, huffing and puffing after every flight, clutching her books to her chest as she advanced further upward. 

“Be not afraid,” she said aloud. “There’s nothing to be afraid of.” 

She wondered if she would see the handsome boy with the handsome smile again. If there was nothing that went right about this day, seeing him was at least one good thing she experienced, even with the embarrassment of flowers blooming at random. He was so tall and strikingly good looking; even in her old town, there wasn’t a god or a mortal that could compare to him. 

And yet, she didn’t even know his name, having simply ran away flustered. Hopefully, she could make up for it in some way, if she could think of one. She hadn’t been around boys very often, but there was something in her core that told her: _he_ is _different_. _He’s not like the ones Mama warned of._

As she arrived at the door, she stood with her hand on the handle, inhaling one last deep breath of courage. She had made it; hopefully, she could slip in quietly without being noticed and blend in with the rest of the class. Econ was not too difficult anyways; most of Persephone’s education was received via home schooling from her mother and other tutors, and they had already covered the basics. Whatever work she missed she could surely make up quickly.

Pushing the door open, Persephone slipped through quietly, letting it latch behind her.

And as the raindrops pelted her in the face and the thunder boomed in her ears, she realized that she was given the wrong directions. Whomever that red nymph was seemed to have done this intentionally. Persephone found herself standing on the roof of Olympus Preparatory Academy, in the middle of a thunderstorm, with no way to re-enter the building; her heart thudding in her chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a gracious thanks to my ever lovely Lu and the phenomenal Myth is a Mirror for their beta services. i couldn't do it without you.  
> and as always, thanks to **you** for reading. i hope you like it; let me know your thoughts in the comments.


	2. The New Girl

_No no no no no no no no no! This can’t be happening!_

Persephone frantically pulled on the locked door handle for the umpteenth time. Her hair was growing at an alarming rate, cascading from her head and pooling at her feet in a tangled, rain soaked bundle of locks.

“But of course it’s happening, you stupid village girl,” she answered herself. 

She backed away from the door and ran to the other side of the exterior wall, looking for another entrance. There were no windows or access points that she could see. She returned to the main exit, frustrated, yanking on the door handle, jiggling it with a fleeting hope that soon dissipated.

The young goddess stood on the opposite side of the emergency exit door, on the roof of Olympus Preparatory Academy for the Divine. Storm clouds continued to roll along the horizon with loud, booming thunderclaps that made her jump. A crack of lighting caused her to heart race, and the raindrops streaming down her face clouded her vision, mixed with a few of her own tears. She already had an unexpected late start, forgotten one of her books, had tripped and nearly fallen in front of other students, and now? She was trapped on the roof in a thunderstorm, late for yet another class, because of the shady directions that red nymph had given her. With one last whine, she turned with her back to the door and leaned against it, sliding down as she sank to the ground in defeat. 

Of course, there was at least _one_ good thing about her day: the flirty boy with the killer smile. The way those ocean blue eyes made her short circuit when she first saw him caused Persephone to crack a tiny grin. She had to know more about him–how old was he? Was he an upperclassman? What kind of classes did he take? What was his favorite color? What did he do for fun? Does he enjoy cheese pizza as much as she does? Is he going to care that she was stuck in the middle of a thunderstorm for most of the day? Would he be interested in a quiet village girl like her?

The only way to find out, was to find a way _out_ –back down from the roof and into the building once more.

“Well, Kore, if you’re going to be stuck out here for a while,” she said to herself, “you might as well make the best of it.”

Sniffling, she wiped her tears with the back of her hand. She closed her eyes, remembering the words her mother told her.

_“You have come entirely too far to give up before you’ve gotten started, my flower… Be not afraid.”_

Feeling encouraged, Persephone lifted one hand into the sky, swirling her fingers about as wafts of pink light began to shine from within her palm. Slowly but surely, a small green sprout began to grow from the ground in front of her. As she waved and curled her fingers, the tiny plant responded in sync with her movements. Wisps of magic sparked as the bloom unfurled, growing bigger and taller as it reached for the sky, drinking in the torrential rain that fell. The sprout transformed as it grew from a tiny bud that swiftly became a small tree, taller than Persephone, with oversized leaves that protruded out of the top, acting as protection from the storm.

“There!” she squealed excitedly, clapping her hands together. “That’s much better. Now, to make a swift exit!”

Persephone climbed to her feet, walking around the miniature trunk, her hair trailing behind her like an oversized serpent. She retraced the steps that led her to arrive at the rooftop – the directions from the discourteous nymph steered her to the exit stairwell. Climbing the stairs, she had to open the door in order to get to the roof. How could she open the door again, if there wasn’t a handle on the outside?

And then, Persephone grinned, her eyes glowing a wicked red, as her hair billowed and blew behind her in fuchsia waves. Lightning crackled, brightening the sky with a flash of light across the grey horizon, but Persephone paid it no mind. Power radiated through her hands, and greenery began to grow from the ground beneath her, creeping and crawling around the doorframe.

* * *

Hades sighed, exasperated. He was in a foul mood after bumping into Minthe during the passing period; she smiled an evil, conniving grin at him, which made his skin crawl with disgust. He hated that she still made him so furious sometimes. He sat, his held in one hand, looking his class schedule over as it sat in his other hand. It wasn’t anything that he couldn’t handle; still, he felt somewhat overwhelmed. As the oldest of the Rusor boys, he did his best to work hard, hoping to set a good example for his brothers to follow and make his mother proud. The four of them were all that was left of their family, and it motivated Hades to have an aggressive workload, to attempt and accomplish all that he could. He was projected to be the senior valedictorian because of his perfect grade point average. His vocational technical program with the Underworld was in the final year, and it would require more time away from school, leaving him to figure out how to fit cross country into the new schedule. All of this was attainable, but for right now, he just needed to take a break and escape for a little while. 

One of his favorite places to hide and clear his thoughts was the side stairwell of the eastern wing of OPA that led to the emergency exit. With all of the divine powers and talents of the students and teaching staff, there was very seldom an actual emergency that took place; if any disasters did genuinely arise, they were swiftly resolved. Students usually relied upon their own abilities to transfer in and out of the building at their leisure; flight was the most common form of transportation. He sat on the bottom step of the second to the last flight of stairs—far enough away from the main exits to let some of the noise drown out, but not so far as to be completely silent. To Hades, it was the perfect place to spend quiet time since it was so seldom traveled; virtually no other students would even dare to use the stairs. As he made his way there, his mind wandered across his problems – perhaps he could run for cross country part time? Every other track meet? Just how often did he need to attend practice? He raked his fingers through his hair, frustrated with how his morning had gone. It was a mess except for one thing that made the day worthwhile: seeing _her._ The new girl, who his brother swore up and down was a flower nymph; he knew she just had to be a goddess though. The new girl who was the most beautiful being that he had ever seen. Her smile could stop time. Her eyes pierced his soul; even though they passed briefly in the hall, his heart skipped a beat just thinking of her. Where had she come from? What grade was she in? Did she like cheese pizza? Would she talk to him? What was her name?

 _I hope I’ll see her again,_ he thought to himself. _Even if it’s just once._

A loud sound from above jarred him from his thoughts. There was an unexpected shout of glee coming from the roof exit. It was very out of place, as no one should have had reason to be there. Hades looked up to the top stairwell, curious why someone would be on the roof of OPA, especially during a nasty thunderstorm. He rose to his feet and ascended the stairs slowly, wondering what could have caused the noise.

To his bewilderment, foliage grew from the narrow cracks and spaces surrounding the door. It looked like… vines? The small, thin weeds trickled from the slim border surrounding the doorframe. One particular blade of ivy wound and curled around the door handle, slithering along the latch mechanism in a peculiar manner. Other leaves from the vine feathered out from the ledge of the door, winding into the hinges, growing slowly and surely, until a loud click sounded from the door knob, and the door crept open under the weight of the web of vines pulling at it.

Hades backed away, with a cautious eyebrow raised. The door flung open, and one very pink, very rain-soaked goddess leaped through, cheering and pumping her fist in the air. She twirled around happily with her hair trailing behind her—it had grown much longer than when he first saw her in the hallway a few hours ago. Her eyes were blood red, and a feral grin spread across her face.

“AWESOME-BLOSSOM!! _THAT’S_ WHAT I’M TALKIN' ABOUT!” she yelled, jumping up and down excitedly. The pink goddess shimmied her shoulders, bouncing them up and down as she did a happy dance, clearly very proud of something. Her eyes began to revert to their normal hue again.

“I did it! I _knew_ I could! WOO-HOO!!” She celebrated, completely unaware that Hades was there. He watched her with a smile on his face as she continued chattering on to herself. “BOY that was rough for a little while, but nothing that **this** goddess couldn’t handle! OOOOO I cannot _wait_ to see her again, I will give her a piece of my mind—the nerve of her to give me the wrong directions, for what? I should have known by those sharp cheekbones that she was mean. It's my first day at this school and I am going to make this year the best year ever!”

She turned around to pull the rest of her damp locks into the walkway.

“But first I gotta get rid of this …. Stupid hair.”

She stopped to gather herself . Water dripped off of her, landing in small puddles at her feet. He wondered how long she had been on the roof.

“Would you like some help?” he asked softly.

The young lady turned and screamed in terror. Or embarrassment. Maybe both. Hades laughed, watching her momentary panic.

“Um… um… um,” she stuttered. Recognition flitted across her face as she realized who Hades was. She grinned immediately. Suddenly, a crown of blue flowers popped up on top of her head once more.

He gasped.

“I **knew** you were a goddess!”  
“Sugarsnaps,” she squeaked.   
“Sugarsnaps?”   
“I… oh man, this is embarrassing. I’m so sorry!”   
“What?” Hades asked, confused. “What’s wrong?”   
“I…”   
  
She started but could not find words to articulate how she felt, a sigh escaping instead.

“I just can’t seem to get it together today.” 

The goddess lowered her head, wringing the edge of her shirt nervously. She shivered slightly, due to being soaked from the rain. Hades bent down to open his backpack, pulling his letterman’s jacket out.

“Here,” he said softly. “You’ll probably get sick if you don’t dry off some. Maybe this will help?”

She looked up, chewing slightly on her bottom lip.

“Thank you,” she squeaked, extending her hand to receive the coat. As she took it, their hands brushed, and a small glow emitted from where their skin had made contact. They locked eyes with each other, smiling, until Hades sheepishly averted his gaze.

“It’s no trouble. Looks like you’ve had enough of a morning.”  
“No kidding,” she replied with a huff. “I just moved to the city and I’ve already messed up so much.”  
“I don’t think it’s as bad as it seems.” His lips quirked as he smiled.   
“Well you weren’t late, didn’t fall down in front of the entire school, forget your textbook, get lost and wind up on the roof with a locked door in the middle of a thunderstorm on your first day. Also, did I mention that I was late? I am extremely late.” She looked down, forlorn.  
“Nobody cares about being late on the first day of class. It’s literally an unwritten rule.” Hades leaned against the wall, smiling. “And even though I wasn’t late, or forgot my textbook, or fell down, or got lost and wound up in a thunderstorm, I met a goddess who seems to be pretty cool, despite all of that,” he said gently.

The young lady lifted her head and saw Hades looking at her earnestly. 

“You… you think I’m cool?”  
“You basically just picked a lock with vines.. That’s the coolest thing I’ve seen in a long time.”

Even though she was already pink in color, he swore that she blushed an even deeper shade of magenta.

“Thank you,” she whispered.  
“You’re very welcome. Is it hard to make the vines?”   
“Uh… not really, I suppose. I can make plants and flowers grow at will.”   
“I haven’t seen anything like that in Olympus before.”   
“Oh I’m not from here. I’m new.”   
“I can tell,” he said with a chuckle, and she flushed even deeper.   
“Have you been going to the Academy very long?” she asked.   
“Yep. This is my senior year,” he replied, walking out to the roof to help gather some of her hair. “Is it cool if I help you though?” Hades gestured to the last bit of her hair that was still puddled in a pile on the ground just outside the door.   
“I’d like that.”

He helped to gather the remainder of her hair and shut the door behind them, the two of them safe from the raging elements outside.

“Can I ask you another question?” he said, smelling the scent of flowers coming from her locks. It smelled like rosewater, with the thunderstorm; a spring morning rain.   
“Stab in the dark,” she said in a cheeky tone. “But is it about my silky flowing goddess hair?”  
“Well,” he chuckled. “I mean, is that a part of your powers too? When I saw you earlier today it was a lot shorter. Did you… did you lose control?”

She sighed, looking away.  
  
“A little. It’s really been a stressful morning. Every now and then I struggle a little with my powers.”   
“That’s everybody though,” he said nonchalantly, carefully wrapping her hair around his arm as if it were the finest of silks. “Here at OPA there are a lot of different beings, gods, naiads, druids, fae, and a couple mortals. Our powers are still developing. Some abilities still are going to manifest when we least expect it. If the only side effect for you is silky flowing goddess hair, you don’t really have anything to worry about.”

“Really?” she asked.  
“Really. I’ve attended OPA for my entire academic career and I’ve seen literally everything there is to see, so there’s not really much that surprises me. But you? You’re different.”   
“Is that a good thing?”   
“I’d say so. I bet there isn’t another goddess like you out there.” Hades paused for a moment, realizing that he had said those words aloud. He had not intended to be so frank, but he couldn’t deny that the pink goddess was most definitely intriguing. Carefully, he wrapped the last few tendrils of her hair around his arm and gently extended it for her to receive the bundle of locks. She slowly stuck her arm inside the loop to take it, blushing furiously at the impact of his words, as their hands made contact once again. The corners of his mouth turned up in a smile, and there was the faintest flush along his cheeks.

“Thank you,” she said quietly.  
“No thanks necessary. But… one last question?”   
“You ask so many,” she replied with a playful eye-roll.   
“How did you get up here anyway? Not that I’m not glad to see you of course but… nobody ever takes these stairs.”   
“Well how come you’re here then?”

Hades paused, not expecting her retort. She looked at him expectantly, a hand on her hip, the other hefting her still damp hair bundled up in giant loops. His jacket was gigantic on her; her fingertips barely met the ends of the leather sleeves, but it made him smile to see her wearing it. Maybe he should consider letting her keep it. Or maybe he should ask for it back later-- not to be disrespectful and demand a gift back, but to have another reason to talk to her again.

“Gosh, you’re pretty,” he breathed.  
“What was that?” she asked.   
“I- um… I … I said that it was pr-pr-pretty quiet. I’m here because it’s quiet. Sometimes I-I-”

 _Damnit Rusor, stuttering?_ he chastised himself. _You grew out of that in grade school!_

He paused to draw a breath, suddenly nervous around this pink goddess for some unknown reason. Was it because of the way that her eyes looked at him with concern, making him feel as if she actually cared? The way she fidgeted with her clothes nervously, like he did? Or was it the fact that she really was the most beautiful being that he had ever seen.

“I-I-I like to get a-a-away… from the crowd,” he blurted out, cringing at his inadvertent stammering.   
“Oh? Like a hiding place?”

Hades gulped. The young lady smiled a small smile, and her hand shifted from her hip to the bottom of her shirt again, grasping at the edge. The look on her face was… bashful. A little pained. Almost as if she could relate.

“Does that sound silly?” he asked quietly.  
“Oh no!” she exclaimed fretfully. “Sometimes you really need peace and quiet, especially when you feel like you’re going to lose it. And-and-and this hallway makes sense, especially if no one takes the stairs”

He breathed a sigh of relief.

“But I won’t tell anybody about your secret hiding spot,” she continued. There was a playful lilt in her voice that let him know that she was teasing, which made him smile.  
“Thanks, Miss…. Miss… Please don’t hate me for asking another question, but I didn't catch your name.”

She giggled. It sounded like the most melodic thing that he had ever heard.

“Ko-. Persephone. My name is Persephone, Persephone Ceres.”  
“Persephone Ceres? My name is Hades Rusor. It’s nice to meet you.”

He extended his hand formally, and she giggled again, reaching out for the handshake. Upon clasping her dainty palm around his, a spark ricocheted through his arm and hers, like they exchanged a thrum of each other's power. It was not painful by any means, but made Persephone curious. She took Hades’ hand and maneuvered it upwards, their palms facing flat against one another, and a pink and blue glow emitting from the spaces sandwiched between their fingers. Entranced, Hades laced his fingers with hers, and the light radiating from their embrace grew brighter. It was a beautiful amalgamation of pink and blue, with a tiny luminescent butterfly that materialized, fluttering from within their clasped fingers.

Another butterfly fluttered by, snapping Hades out of his trance. As he looked up at Persephone, he saw that there were butterflies resting all over her—wings opening and closing along her arms, shoulders, and head as others floated above her. She looked back at him, smiling, and squeezed his hand gently. 

“There really isn’t anyone else like you,” he whispered. She blushed, moving her other hand to tuck a hair behind her ear. It was only then that she noticed the small swarm of butterflies that had appeared, delicately perched on the swaths of hair looped over her arm, and immediately took her hand away from Hades’.

“Oh no-oh no-oh no… I got to go!” she squeaked, scrambling to head towards the stairs.  
“Wait—what’s wrong?”   
“It was nice to meet you, Hades!” she called out, butterflies chasing her as she ran. “Really, it was!”   
“But Persephone—will I see you again?”   
“I-I hope so!”   
  
She disappeared from view, but one last butterfly lingered behind. Hades extended his hand gently, and the small creature landed on his fingertips, spanning its wings open and shut before disappearing into a wisp of pink light that wafted in the air.

“Me too,” he sighed, placing a hand over his heart. “Me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _i still can't belive i'm writing a high school au/100% fluff fic, but here we are._
> 
> gracious thanks to [Lu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alula) and [ Myth_Is_A_Mirror](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myth_is_a_Mirror) for their beta provisions as always.  
> much obliged to the legendary Spooks for some brainstorming on exactly how dorky Persephone should be. 
> 
> follow me at [twitter](https://twitter.com/_daalex) for sneak peeks and other random shenanigans ( **if you are 18+, that is. i am very much heathen. do not follow if you are le bebe.** )
> 
> more on cheese pizza to come later. thanks for reading-- i hope you enjoy.


	3. Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for the apple of my eye. heard you needed some serotonin ♥
> 
> have some fluff and plot and a few new characters.

“Mr. Martius, if you wouldn’t mind putting your _blasted_ wings away, that would be most appreciated.”

The rose-colored young man rolled his eyes as his large, feathered wings retracted back from their span and back into place, tucked behind his shoulders. He raked his fingers through his hair, huffing a sigh of mild annoyance. 

“Apologies, Professor Thespis,” he uttered softly. Next to him, a mortal girl with mahogany skin, thick coiled hair, and glasses giggled. The young man looked over at her with a helpless expression on his face and shrugged his shoulders. She gave him an understanding smile. 

“Thank you,” the professor replied. “Ladies, godlings, gentlemen and other beings, my name is Cyril Thespis, and I’ll be your drama teacher for the school year here at OPA.” 

“But is drama _really_ necessary for my degree program?” a violet hued boy spoke. 

“Do not speak out of turn, Mr. Carneus. You will raise your hand if you wish to make a statement, and you will wait for me to acknowledge you. Am I understood?”

The boy scowled but remained silent. 

“As I was saying, before being so _rudely_ interrupted: I will be your drama teacher for the school year. The curriculum will feature different communication techniques, acting workshops and tools. We will also work together to orchestrate a production of two plays – one beginning in the winter, and one to be held in the spring. Everyone will have a role to play – and I’m not just referring to acting. We will need stagehands, audio-visual support, lighting specialists, assistance with scenery and backdrops; there will literally be something for everyone to assist with. Within the next few weeks, I’ll hold signups for auditions.”

While he spoke, the professor, who was a portly satyr that was golden hued, pointed to the dry erase board behind him, which held notes that were already pre-written to help summarize his monologue. He looked out to the class and saw that the young lady from earlier raised her hand timidly. She had big, pretty hazel eyes that sat beneath full lashes atop a face with stunning brown skin, and ornate jewelry adorning each ear; it looked as if her wired ear cuffs were shaped to be pointed, mimicking the ear shape of a nymph. 

“Yes Miss…” The professor stopped to consult his seating chart. “Ah! Miss Vineyard. How can I assist you?”

“Would the backdrops for the play already be crafted and designed, or is that something that I could help paint?”

“You’re offering already?”

“If that’s not too much trouble?”

“That would be perfect. I’ll make a note of that when we need to plan the—”

Just then, the door of the classroom creaked open, and a still damp Persephone scurried in, her waterlogged sneakers squeaking along the tile floor. The class was silent as she breezed past everyone, hurriedly taking the first empty chair that she could find. 

“Would you happen to be Miss Ceres?” the professor asked. 

“Yes, sir I’m so sorry I’m late—”

“No one cares about that, just be quiet upon arrival.”

Persephone did a double take. She was under the impression that she was surely going to be in trouble for being so late to class, but it genuinely seemed to be an unwritten rule: no one cares about being late on the first day of school. 

She reached into her backpack to retrieve paper for taking notes, but found that the contents of her bag were still excessively soggy from the thunderstorm earlier. Without question, a delicate hand extended a pencil to her. She turned to her left, and the young lady smiled at her. To her right, the young winged gentleman from earlier extended a few pieces of loose-leaf paper, the expression on his face reading empathy and understanding. Persephone grinned and happily took the items from the strangers, mouthing the words “Thank you!” to the both of them. She rolled the sleeves of Hades’ jacket up and began to jot down the summary that was outlined on the dry erase board. 

“Since there is interest in the play, is there anyone who has experience working on set?” the professor asked. 

The young lady raised her hand. He gestured for her to speak. 

“I’ve assisted with a drama summer camp through the years; in pursuit of my art degree, I helped to design backdrops and other scenery, and I’ve also painted two murals.”

“That will be most useful. Thank you, Miss Vineyard. Anyone else?”

Persephone raised her hand. 

“I can help with foliage and plants to help set the scene.”

“I suppose we could benefit from a florist’s skills. Anyone else?”

“I can be your lead actor,” the violet godling spoke up. “Trust me, with _my_ talent and pedigree, it will be a sellout show.”

“Don’t pick him for lead, Professor!” the rose-hued god spoke, twisting one of the curls of his pompadour back into place with a wry finger. “He has zero acting skills. Unlike him, I’ve actually attended drama camp for several years now, and have worked in costume designing and production, as well as casting and script reading.”

“You’re such a wimp, let a professional do this!”

“I’m sure he would like to, but you’re in my way.”

“If the two of you are done puffing your chests like pigeons, I’d prefer to move on,” the professor interrupted. “We’ll see who the true actors are once auditions are underway.” 

“But—”

“But nothing!” the professor snapped at the violet god, accentuating his words with claps of his hands. “I’ve already asked that no one speak unless I call upon them.”

Silence fell upon the class as the professor continued his lecture. 

Persephone let her mind wander, back to seeing Hades in the stairwell. That strange sensation of holding his hand, and the light and power that radiated from their embrace played back in her mind. That, and how incredibly attractive he was. He was handsome, kind, and didn’t think she was a stupid village girl. He helped her with her hair without a second thought and seemed to think that she was cool. His smile made her stomach do flips and just being near him gave her butterflies. If there was anything that had gone right about this terrible morning, it was running into him. 

The mortal girl next to her extended her hand, with a piece of paper within it that was folded down into a small rectangle. Persephone grabbed it quickly and unfolded it, reading a note. 

_“If you need any more help, just let me know. My name is Ampelus,”_ the note read. 

Persephone quickly wrote back, smiling as she scrawled. 

_“You’re the best—it’s been a terrible morning. Thank you for everything!”_

She folded the paper up again and passed it back, and Ampelus took the paper and quickly hid it under her wrist. 

The rose-hued god peeked at the two of them, and then scooted his desk and chair closer to Persephone. Persephone looked over at him, bewildered, mouthing the words “What are you doing?”

“Being nosey!” he mouthed back. 

“Aren’t we gonna get in trouble?”

“Nobody cares!”

Persephone stifled a giggle, seeing her new friend inconspicuously slide his desk closer to her. She continued to jot down a few notes from the professor’s lesson, until she felt a presence remarkably close to her. 

“Your hair is so pretty!” the godling whispered. 

“Thank you!” she said quietly, not looking in his direction. 

“Can… can I… can I braid it?”

Persephone turned to him, fighting the tears brimming in her eyes. Her hair was always such a burden when it had grown, and here was this friendly classmate who thought it was lovely enough to braid. A braid actually would be perfect, she thought to herself; it would probably make it easier to cut her hair later if it were all in one place. 

Until she remembered. 

“I don’t have a hairbrush,” she whispered back. 

“Say less!” the young man responded, reaching into his backpack and pulling out a brush, comb, scrunchie hair tie, and hairspray. 

“How are you so prepared?!” she laughed quietly, posturing herself to let her hair fall in his direction. 

“I have a lot of sisters, so you never know when you’ll have a hair or fashion emergency.”

“I’m… I’m really grateful for this. It’s been a terrible morning.”

“Tch, I can tell, poor thing. But it couldn’t be all bad.”

“How’s that?”

“You met me!”

She pressed her hand to her mouth to keep from giggling. But the young man was right; meeting him wasn’t all bad either. 

As the class proceeded, the professor was so engrossed in delivering his lecture and instructions that he never noticed Persephone’s hair being woven into an intricate braid in the young god’s fingers. She sighed happily, reveling in the feeling of having her hair brushed and combed. She continued to take notes, thinking of what types of plants and ivy would look best under stage lights, since their fall play was going to be a rendition of Robin Hood. Perhaps traditional vines that were strewn about, hanging from the stage lights? Would that be too much? Or should she create potted plants? Flowers? Grass patches? Her notebook paper was covered in notes and quick sketches of foliage. 

Ampelus extended her hand to Persephone once more, another folded note tucked between her thumb and palm. Persephone reached out and grabbed it, excitedly unfolding the triangle into its full sheet. 

_“The flowers in your hair are gwite lovely! You must be a very powerful goddess to create such beauty.”_

Persephone reached up to her temple and felt petals beneath her fingertips. She plucked one to inspect, finding that it was a sweet pea. She smiled to herself, with the realization that she was in the company of friends. 

Quickly, she scribbled a note to Ampelus, and then folded it again. Before she passed it back to her, she placed her hands together in a loose circle, and small rays of light radiated between them. Her eyes went completely white as she focused on the workings of her hands, until she opened them to reveal an oversized yellow rose, bloomed and unfurled, radiant in appearance. She set the rose on top of the note and held it out for Ampelus to take. Her eyes widened at the sight of the gift, and she immediately took the rose and tucked it behind her ear. 

_“You have been so kind to me, thank you! PS, did you mean ‘quite?’”_

Ampelus shook her head and scribbled a response, then passed it back to Persephone. 

_“I apologize, the flicky tail on the letter Q has always confused me.”_

Persephone smiled and motioned her hand as if she were waving away the apology. 

The godling next to her finished the braid, placing the end of it on her desk. Not a single hair was loose; everything was woven and braided perfectly. Persephone marveled at his work, quickly extending an arm for a hug. The rose-hued god received it enthusiastically before sliding his desk back into its proper place. 

The bell rang, indicating the end of class. Ampelus found herself looking at the rose-colored god, and he locked eyes with her for a short moment, before retrieving the remainder of his books and supplies to place back in his bag. 

“Thank you again,” Persephone said gleefully, carefully wrapping the braid in loops around her arm. 

“Listen boo, I couldn’t help myself,” he responded, wriggling with excitement. “All those luscious locks you have were just begging me to whip them up in shape. And how did you get caught in the thunderstorm? Your hair was still kind of damp while I braided it.”

“Its… it’s nothing,” she responded, remembering the misdirection that the red nymph had given her earlier. 

“By the way, my name is Eros,” he stated. “Eros Martius.”

“Eros?” Ampelus said, eyeing him curiously. 

“Yes! Have we… Have we met before? I heard you say you went to drama camp too.”

“Oh, I- “

Ampelus smiled a small smile, her shoulders sinking almost sadly. 

“Well, I did, but… I’m also from a very small village so I’m sure that… our paths haven’t crossed before.”

“Hmm… Well, either way, it’s so nice to meet you. And new bestie, what’s your name?”

“Ah! I’m sorry,” she said, fumbling with her notes. “Persephone Ceres. I’m a junior, and I’m new here to OPA.”

“I’m Ampelus Vineyard.”

“Hi again! Thank you so much for saving me with the notes—it’s my first complete day here and I wouldn’t have made it through class without you… without the both of you!”

“You’re new?”

“Yes. I moved here to Olympus this summer.”

“You’re… you’re _brand_ new?” Eros asked again. 

“Is… is it obvious?” she asked sheepishly. 

“Hmm… do you…. Do you have any friends here yet?”

“Oh! Um… just you. And Ampelus. You’re my only two friends so far. I spent the summer at home mostly, so I haven’t really had a chance to meet anyone else just yet, except for today.”

A light flickered in Eros eyes as he grinned and clapped his hands together excitedly. Immediately his wings unfurled to their full span in his happy outburst, lifting him to hover off the ground. 

“Mr. Martius!” the professor yelled. 

“Sorry!” 

He willed his wings away, tucking them back into their invisible place of dormancy. 

“You… you _say_ that you don’t have any other friends,” Eros started, “but… that’s _very_ much a senior’s letterman’s jacket that you’re wearing.”

Persephone blushed, hiding her eyes behind her hands as blue forget-me-nots sprouted from her hair once more. 

“Oh my gods,” he whispered, brimming with excitement. “You have a crush! This is too good, please tell me all about it!”

“Maybe… maybe later!” Persephone blurted, mildly embarrassed, but blushing happily as she thought of Hades once more. 

“What’s a crush?” Ampelus asked. 

“Well, it’s a way to describe when you have special feelings for another person, someone that you really like,” Eros explained. “I’m a love god in training, so this is completely my area of expertise.”

“I… I have to get to my next class,” Persephone said nervously. “But I’m so glad to have met you. I’ll see you tomorrow, without waterlogged paper and books!”

“Thank you for my flower!” Ampelus said happily. 

“Yes, I’ll definitely see you tomorrow,” Eros replied. “We can see what kind of plans we can present to the professor for the play, and I want to hear all about this crush on a senior… Do you know how special it is to get their letterman’s jacket?”

“Well, he… he’s very sweet.” Persephone paused. She had never heard the word “crush” before. Is it too soon to have feelings? To still be thinking about him, less than a few hours after meeting him? Would he let her keep this jacket? How important is a letterman’s jacket _actually_? How important is giving it away, to a girl, to wear? Was it because she was soaked from the rainstorm, or something more? 

“You’re thinking about him right now, you’re so cute!” Eros squealed. “What kind of goddess are you to have all these luxurious flowers that sprout from your… your mind?”

“Oh! Goddess of Spring,” Persephone replied, dusting the blue petals away from her shoulders. 

“I’m only a mortal,” Ampelus spoke, “but I have met many gods and goddesses here. You’re the only one that is a goddess of a season, but like I said before, you must be very powerful.”

“... _Powerful_ ,” the violet god muttered to himself, picking up on pieces of the conversation across the room. He eyed Persephone up and down, seeing the flowers growing from her hair. Her hair was braided and looped around her arm, but… was that an OPA letterman jacket? He hadn’t seen her before, and her hair was covering the name on the sleeve. He got up from his desk to follow her. 

“You guys really are too sweet,” Persephone stated. “But I’ve got to get to my next class, and I’m going to get there on time! I will see you later, I can’t wait.”

She headed towards the door, waving as she walked. As she entered the hall, the violet god strode across the classroom, jogging to catch up with her. 

“Hey cutie pie, where are you going so fast?” he asked, walking behind her.

Persephone kept walking, calling over her shoulder, “I’m going to class, thank you.”

“Slow down a minute babe… You’ve got a bunch of shit in your bag—can I carry it for you?”

“Um… no thanks,” Persephone said, not even turning her head in his direction. She held her schedule in one hand and quickly glanced to see the room number. 

“Come on, don’t play me like that!”

“I’m not playing anything, whoever you are, but I am going to class.”

“‘Whoever you are?’ Do you not know? Babe, my name is Apollo Carneus.”

“Okay, goodbye Mr. Carnitas!”

She scurried away, feeling uneasy at how this godling approached her. 

Apollo stopped, his jaw dropping at how the young woman had dismissed him. 

“What kind of nymph is _that_?” he huffed to himself. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gracious thanks to my Lu for her assistance in getting this beta'd. i still can't believe i'm writing it.  
> and a heartfelt thanks to those of you patiently waiting for this since last year. 
> 
> be prepared, this is the first slice of bread in a very angsty sandwich. the meats will arrive soon. for now, have the light fluffiness before we flip the script.


	4. Savior

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: domestic assault, abuse, blood (ichor), violence and boss fight. 
> 
> i'm here to hold your hand through all of this though. 
> 
> anyways, here's wonderwall.

Hades walked alone down the neighborhood street, hands in his pockets, thinking about the school day. The sky was riddled with puffy clouds that hid the rays of Helios’ work, casting midday shadows everywhere. Every so often as he squinted. The young god saw the edges of the shadows slightly move; shades hid in plain sight, waiting until the darkness of the nighttime before moving back to the underworld. He felt their presence surrounding him, a strange sensation that weighed upon him like light humidity lingering in the air. The souls would sometimes cling to him, the wisps of their ectoplasmic essence tickling his arms and skin, as they quite literally hung on him, in anticipation of being led to the depths of the underworld. Visible to only him, the shades lurking in the shadow brought him a sense of comfort.  
  
“You guys just can’t chill till later, huh,” Hades said aloud, chuckling.

The breeze picked up just then, but he could hear soft giggles mixed in with the sound of rustling leaves in the branches of the trees above him.

“I’ll come hang out later, I promise!”  
 _“Sotíras, did you fare well today?”_ one of the voices whispered. _  
_“Eh… It wasn’t the best day, but it most definitely wasn’t the worst.”

He smiled fondly, recalling the exchange that took place with Persephone earlier that morning.

_“You are happy, Sotíras? It is not frequently that we see you smiling,”_ another voice whispered.  
“Maybe I am, maybe not. I’ll never tell." He smirked in their general direction. "Besides, you’re not supposed to be here in the upper regions so early! Charon will be furious!”  
 _“But Sotíras, please let us accompany you in the sunshine!”_ a shadow whispered, slithering from the base of a nearby tree to pool next to Hades feet.  
 _“At least for a short time, before we are bound to the underworld!”_ another voice piped up.  
 _“Yes, yes, let us accompany you!”_

The shades gathered behind him, single file, streaking across the grass and pavement to create a menacing looking shadow on the sidewalk, awaiting confirmation from the young god. 

Hades sighed, shaking his head in amusement. He rolled his shoulder forward in a quick motion, indicating they could follow.

“You all had better be on your best behavior, or Charon will come for all of us.”  
 _“Of course, Sotíras.”  
“We do not seek to bring you any troubles.”  
“We would not cause you grief, Sotíras.”_

He smiled as he continued to walk down the sidewalk, the shadows trailing behind him in an ethereal cape that cascaded from his shoulders, grand and regal. Shades had followed him like this ever since he could remember, but there were always a few, those who didn't have passage for Charon, that stuck with him for years. The sight of the enfolding darkness might scare others, but to him it was one of his greatest comforts. As he walked, a wisp of black and blue smoke began to gather near his legs, swirling around and growing bigger as it billowed. Hades stopped for a moment, the mystical display catching his attention. 

  


“Hey Boy!” Hades called cheerfully, reaching into the eerie cloud of smoke.

A loud whuff followed by a bark came from within the small cloud, until the figure of a large black great dane stepped out of the wafting smoke, his tongue lolling out happily as his master scratched behind his ears. His eyes had a ghastly glow, as blue as the sky above them, despite the derpy expression upon his face; his ears flopped haphazardly as he received the affectionate pats from the young god.

_“The fýlax has arrived!”_ a soul whispered.  
 _“Oh no, we have caused grief for Sotíras!”_  
 _“We will have to return to the underworld. The keeper will beckon us.”_  
“Guys,” Hades spoke “chill out. Cerberus isn’t a nark. Right, boy?”

The dog looked at the trail of shadows that had stilled on the pavement, squinting his eyes to inspect. He whuffed, indicating his approval, and continued to walk with Hades down the street.

_“The fýlax is merciful.”  
“We owe you our deepest gratitude, ancient keeper.”  
“Yes, yes, we thank you, guardian of the gates.”_

“How was your day, Boy?” Hades asked, reaching out to scratch the dog behind the ears once more as they walked. “Anything exciting happen in the underworld while I was at school?”

The hound huffed, a few barks, and a whine that seemed to be of disgust.

"That bad? Doesn't sound like I missed much of anything."  
Cerberus let out a low growl once more in agreement.  
"Statistically someone is going to try to make it past the river Styx at least once every year, from what Charon says. Was it messy pulling them out of the water?" 

Cerberus howled, and Hades laughed. The two had a unique bond that allowed them to communicate with one another with perfect understanding. Although Cerberus would bark, howl or huff as any regular dog would, the young god knew exactly what the guardian of the underworld meant each time. The souls revered the dane as the keeper of the gates, who accompanied them as they ferried across the river Styx to receive their forthcoming judgement from Lady Nyx, the ruler of the night and sovereign deity of the underworld. But now and again, lost souls who had not yet ventured to the underworld or who hadn't crossed the river Styx would linger in the upper region, drawn to the young god and the peace that he brought them. As souls of dead mortals, they were often looked down upon, cast aside, or feared by other deities, viewed as terrifying and horrid. Hades was never afraid and treated them with dignity and respect. The work in the underworld was never anything that anyone willingly pursued, except for Hades. He loved it. He reveled in his duties and cared for the souls as if they were his beloved friends, asking for stories of their time in the living realm and what things were like for them. And though he was not sure of what their eternal life would consist of, his empathy for the souls had earned him a reputation. After The time of their deaths, after their souls released from their physical bodies, one simple command would be ingrained in their mind once they awakened as a shade:

_"Find Sotíras. He will guide you. He is our friend.”_

  


_“Sotíras,”_ a soul whispered. _“The ground rumbles. What form of sorcery is this? Are there enemies approaching?”  
“Is it a monster?”  
“It is like thunder! What shall we do?”  
“Should we hide?”  
“Should we flee, Sotíras?”_

“Hang on,” Hades commanded. He stopped walking and turned around, as the loud growl of an engine sounded, growing louder as it approached him. The screech of tires sliding the asphalt road pierced Hades’ ears and caused Cerberus to growl, low and controlled. The poor shades scattered, dashing to various trees and the edges of the curbs and cracks in the pavement, hiding once again in the shadows. The rays of the sun shone even brighter, causing Hades to shield his eyes from the sunlight with his hand. As he squinted from beneath his palm, he could make out the shape of a boxy sports car, golden yellow in color, zipping down the neighborhood street at an abnormal speed.

“Let’s keep going,” he advised Cerberus. The dane quieted his low growl but remained alert, ears pointed high, as he continued to walk next to Hades. The young god turned away from the approaching car, doing his best to ignore the loud roar of the engine and the gaudy acoustic guitar that was blaring from the car’s speakers, accompanied by a terrible screech singing along to the melody.

**“Today is gonna be the day that that they’re gonna throw it back to you...”**

Hades covered his ears to try to block out the god's awful tone-deaf singing.

**“By now, you should’ve somehow realized what you gotta do…”**

Cerberus howled as they walked, expressing his disgust with the jarring music that blared. The engine raced up the street until it came to a screaming halt in front of them, the muffler pipe sputtering out a cloud of thick smoke that sent Hades into a small coughing fit. 

The dog barked at the golden car and its driver, angered on behalf of its master. The driver, Apollo Carneus, turned his music down slightly, pushing his sunglasses up his nose as he pressed a button to open the top of his convertible. 

“What the blazes are you barking at you dirty mutt?” he yelled.

Cerberus continued to bark at the violet god. Hades struggled to catch his breath, as he tried to keep from laughing at the expletives that his companion was throwing at Apollo.

_“Sotíras, are you well?”_ a soul asked.  
“Ye-yeah,” he replied, waving away the exhaust fumes. “Yea, I’m good.”  
“I don’t recall asking,” Apollo chided. 

Cerberus began to growl, his eyes brimming with rage. 

“Easy boy, easy,” Hades called, petting the dane softly.  
“Yea, that’s right, calm your weird ass dog down.”

He inhaled deeply and then blared another lyric in sync with the music. 

**“Backbeat, the word is on the street, that the fire in your heart is out- “**

Hades raised an eyebrow. 

“Hey Apollo, who sings that song anyway?”  
“Oh my gods you don’t know? It’s Wonderwall, by the coolest band in the modern mortal realms, Oasis.”  
“Ah. You should just let them sing it then.” 

A gust of wind danced around them just then. To the average onlooker, it seemed innocuous. But Hades heard the giggles and laughter of the shades in hiding, laced in the air blowing through the leaves of the trees.

_“The grape-like one claims that this horrific melody is a wonder?”  
“I only wonder if he is capable of never singing again.”_

Cerberus lolled his tongue out, practically grinning at the snide but absolutely true remark. 

“Fuck off Ruzor,” Apollo spat out.  
“I’m just saying man,” Hades replied, “you might be better suited singing into a vacuum hose rather than out loud. Nobody asked to hear this.”  
Hades began to walk away, but Apollo slowed the vehicle to a creep alongside him, leaning back in the seat with an arm hanging over the side. 

“I’m getting my practice in since my band is headlining at homecoming in a few weeks.”  
“Practice is the least of what you need man…”  
“I am a music god in training, you asshole! Get used to this!”  
“The word ‘training’ is subjective…”  
“At least I’m working to accomplish something when I graduate!” 

The more frustrated that Apollo became, the brighter the sun’s rays shone. 

“What, working on how to be a professional douche?” Hades spat, shielding his eyes again. “I mean, maybe instead of messing with Helios’ work to make your car look cooler than it is, you can try to do one thing right? And leave me alone?”  
“Kiss my ass Ruzor; you act like you’re some kind of perfect example when all you do is nerdy shit and then go dick around in the underworld with your creepy ass dog.” 

Cerberus kept his attention ahead on the sidewalk, but the low growl returned.  
“He’s not worth it, boy,” Hades muttered. 

“You talk to him like he actually understands your freaky ass?” 

Cerberus snarled just then, baring his teeth, with a flicker of a flame that gleamed in the corner of his eye. He was angry and understood that Hades was as well. However, the pair continued their best to ignore the violet god taunting them from the street. 

Apollo followed them anyways, his car rolling alongside at a snail’s pace, unbothered by the duo’s efforts to disregard him.

“Look at ya, picture perfect. Two flea bags just made for one another. I bet you’re gonna bring his crusty mangey four legs to homecoming as your date too.” 

Hades shook his head, his lips pressed together tightly, trying to dismiss the hateful words that he was hearing. 

“It only makes sense; Minthe dumped you because you’re such a square; you talk to the fucking air like you’re crazy, and your old man left you and your idiot brothers all because of your extra bizarre ass. Guess you’ve got that weird dog because you can’t get any other real friends.”

Hades stopped just then, clenching his fists together, gritting his teeth. A surge of power quaked with the small footstep that he took to turn around, shaking the ground with reverberations that rattled Apollos’ car; the squeak of the axles creaked with the pulses of energy that radiated from Hades. His appearance started to transform as his eyes completely reddened, and his hair began to float on an invisible wind. His skin darkened, slowly changing from cerulean blue into a dark cosmos, with stars that danced across his face and hands as if he were blanketed in the nighttime sky. 

“You know absolutely **_nothing_** about me…” 

His voice was dual layered; his normal tenor mixed with the growl and rasp of something fearsome. He unclenched his fist, extending his arm by his side with an open palm emanating a white glow shining near his fingertips. The light grew, extending quickly into the form of a weapon, sleek and slender with two prongs at the top, longer than Hades was tall.

“You **pompous** , entitled, fucking _bastard_ … You know **_nothing_**!”

He gripped the item with rage, sweeping it to his side with a grand swing as he enunciated his words.

_“How dare he!”_ a soul cried.  
 _“He has offended Sotíras!”  
“Such an infraction cannot go unpunished.”  
“He must be punished for such deplorable behavior.”  
“He must be punished for his wicked words.”  
“He must be punished for his disrespect of our Sotíras.”  
“He must be punished…”  
“…punished…”_

Rolling clouds entered from nowhere in the sky above, darkening everything around them, blocking out the brightness of the sun. The souls slithered along the curb and pavement, crawling along the cracks and seams of Apollos’ car. The sun god’s engine sputtered and stalled, the screaming music silenced by the rush of the wind. Cerberus howled to the sky, his eyes burning bright against the darkness that surrounded them. Blue fire ignited where his paws met the ground, and flames danced and flickered across his body, with puffy wisps of black and silver smoke swirling through his fur. The flames spread, like a fuse just lit, racing across his sleek pelt and engulfing his frame until he was consumed in a blaze as tall as a tree. The flames burned for a short moment, until another glow extinguished them, revealing Cerberus’ true, feral form standing before the young gods. He was a beast bearing three heads, with three pairs of eyes aflame, smoke wafting from three sets of nostrils, and jagged fangs that were so sharp, they could pierce the boxy car in front of him like a can opener cutting a lid off. 

“What’s happening?!” Apollo exclaimed. He tried to start the engine again, but there was no response. He stomped on the gas pedal, nervously turning the key in the ignition over and over again, to no avail. Apollo couldn’t see that the souls were winding and writhing about in the engine, the door handle, the windshield, the wires, occupying every empty space that they could invade. One of the shades wound around his ankles, holding him in place. Another two souls gripped each of his wrists, and Apollo panicked, feeling himself bound in place but unable to see who or what was holding him down. 

Hades sneered, feeling the heat of his weapon burning against the inside of his palm as he clenched it with an angry fist. Even more painful than Apollo’s empty words was the actual reality of those situations he callously spoke about, especially surrounding his father’s departure.  
  


* * *

The smash of the glass pitcher against the wall made Rhea flinch. Kronos loomed over her, his claws digging in the flesh of her forearm.

“Ma!” Zeus yelled. “Ma, please!” 

He summoned his strongest lightning bolt, hurling it at the barrier that kept him and his brothers separated from their parents, but it disappeared upon impact, absorbed into the shield.

“Stay… out… of… this, my son,” she ground out, tears streaming down her cheeks.  
“Dad stop!!! You’re hurting her!” Poseidon screamed, beating his fists against the shield. “Stop hurting her! She didn’t do anything wrong! Stop it!”  
“Wrong?” Kronos chuckled. “She questioned me. That’s wrong enough.” 

It was three years prior. The Ruzor family was falling apart, and poor Rhea could no longer hold them together as she had before. She stood between the boys and their wretched father, arms extended at both sides, using the last of her power to suppress her son’s attempts to intervene. She knew what Kronos was capable of. In her mind, this was the last thing that she could do to keep them safe. She had tolerated his abusive behaviors for years and did what she could to hide it from their children. Two jobs were barely enough to afford Hades’ tuition for OPA and still support the household. Scurrying the boys off to after school activities when Kronos would raise his voice, she kept hoping to sate him long enough to have the boys avoid his temper. Other times it still wasn’t enough, and she carefully applied makeup and wore long sleeved shirts and pants to hide the bruises and wounds that didn’t heal right away. Grooves were carved in her skin where his claws pierced her flesh as he struck her. And that was without even using his power. At full strength, Kronos could destroy their home with a single flick of his wrist, if he truly desired, so she defended her sons with all that she had left. Ichor rolled down her arm as she gritted her teeth, pulling strength from within as Kronos moved his claws from her forearm, and grasped Rhea by her throat. 

Hades felt his anger rise, with rage and power thrumming from within his core. He didn’t even realize that he was floating several inches off the ground. 

“Leave her alone,” he whispered, trembling.  
  
The shield began to falter as Kronos tightened his grip at Rhea’s neck.

“Leave her alone,” Hades spoke a little louder. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes.

“Motherhood has made you weak, Rhea,” Kronos snarled. “Cease this futile game. The prophecy is bullshit, and you know it.”  
“You… will… not… harm… my… sons…”  
“And are they not my sons as well? Did I not sire them? Am I not their father?”  
“You could never live up to that title,” she ground out. “You are not the god that I married. You are a monster. I stayed with you all of these years because you threatened to kill my boys if I were to leave you. That there wasn’t a place that I could hide from you or your fury… that the prophecy was meaningless.”  
“You insufferable wench.”  
“The prophecy will be revealed. The fates decreed it.”  
“The fates are lunatics! Spewing the old lore to anyone who will listen. There hasn’t been a prophecy fulfilled in centuries! It was all lies!!”  
“You don’t know that,” Rhea coughed, fighting to breathe.  
“It’s over, Rhea.”  
“I would… rather… die... than to let you harm a single hair on their heads.”

“That can be arranged,” Kronos sneered.  
  
He raised his other hand, drawing it back to strike.

As the last of Rhea’s strength dissipated, the barrier she struggled to maintain finally fell.

“ **Ma**!” Poseidon yelled.

Hades watched in slow motion as his brother scrambled towards their mother. He watched how Kronos’ swung his hand, claws extended, with full intent of hurting Rhea. He watched, immobilized with a traumatized fear as the emerald godling pulled Rhea out of harm's reach, but not before catching a claw to his left eye.

“Pathetic,” Kronos huffed. He flung Rhea against the wall, her body crumpling upon impact.   
It was then that something in Hades’ heart, snapped, and he felt himself leaping into action.

**“NO!”** Hades yelled, flying across the room.  
“What in the—”

Before he could even realize it, Kronos was thrown backwards. The father found himself pinned to the wall, with a glowing, two-pronged weapon lodged in his chest. He tried to grasp it to pull it out, but winced in pain as the light glowing from the weapon burned his skin. He looked up, and saw Hades looming over him, suspended mid-air. Yet, Hades had never looked like this before. His hair floated on an invisible wind. A crown of obsidian spires hovered just above those tresses. His skin darkened and twinkled, mirroring the cosmos with swirls of navy blue and purple. His eyes burned, the pupils covered as his scleras glowed a bloody red. His teeth were sharp, as a snarl crossed his lips.

  


“I am not afraid of you anymore,” he boomed in a dual layered voice.  
“The-the… the prophecy?” Kronos sputtered.

The shadows in the room began to move, zipping across the floor, walls and ceiling, slowly blanketing everything around them. They were souls, summoned from dormancy by Hades’ rage. They flitted about, crawling on top of one another until they surrounded Hades and Kronos in a cocoon of darkness. It was pitch black, save for the brightness of the weapon Hades wielded, and the scorn that burned in his eyes.

_“Sotíras, we are here,”_ a voice rasped.  
 _“Sotíras, we shall do your bidding.”_

“The—the savior?” Kronos asked.  
 _“You have caused anguish for Sotíras,”_ a soul whispered.  
“This can’t be right… the prophecy was never meant to be true… I swear, I will… I will kill you all!”  
 ** _“You threaten Sotíras?!”_** the souls boomed in unison.

“You will never terrorize our family— _my_ family; you will never terrorize my family again,” Hades spoke. “You are a fucking monster, and I hate you with everything I am.”  
“I don’t- no. I don’t understand. How can this be?!”  
  
Kronos tried again to pull the weapon from his chest, but his hands were singed. Hades grasped the staff and pushed deeper, causing the elder god to cry out in pain.

“That’s for hurting Poseidon,” he sneered.

Slowly, he began to twist the hilt, thus twisting the blades inside his father’s chest, eliciting a howl from Kronos.

“And _that’s_ for what you did to Ma.”

“Aidoneus!” Rhea yelled. “Please don’t… don’t be like him. Come back to me!”

_“How shall we punish him, Sotíras?”_ the souls asked, their voices howling like the wind.

“I don’t want to see him ever again,” Hades whispered. “For every time you hurt Ma, for every foul word you uttered, for every time you put your dirty fucking hands on her—you will suffer. You will hurt. You will be _punished_.”  
 _“It has been decreed!”_ a soul rasped.  
 _“Then let it be so- “  
“Punishment.”  
“Punishment.”  
“Punish…”_

“No,” Kronos begged. “Hades… no—no I’m sorry! Son I’m- I’m sorry! Please. Forgive me!”

The cocoon of shadows closed in on Kronos, and as they made contact, his body began to disappear.

_“Punish,”_ they chanted. Kronos screamed, flailing and struggling to break free, but the shadows silenced him. The cocoon grew smaller and smaller, until nothing remained but Hades and his weapon. Kronos was gone.

“My baby!” Rhea cried, scrambling to climb to her feet. Hades looked at her, his vision still clouded with streaks of red. The bident that was lodged in the wall evaporated. Hades moved to step closer to Rhea but collapsed on the ground.

“Bro!” Zeus yelled. The twins ran to his side, helping to pick him up. They were able to move him to the couch, and Rhea dashed to his side, falling to her knees.

“My son!” she cried. “My strong, brave, resilient son.” She pressed an urgent kiss to his forehead, brushing his hair out of his eyes as she checked him for damage.  
“Wake up bro,” Zeus urged, gently shaking his elder brother’s shoulders. Hades stirred, opening his eyes to see his family looking down at him.  
“What… what happened?” he asked.  
“You tell me, man!” Zeus replied.  
“What did you do to him?” Poseidon asked, holding a hand to his eye.  
“To… to who?”  
“Dad—Kronos… You... you made him disappear. And… who were you talking to? Was there someone else here?”  
“I… I don’t know,” Hades said softly, holding his mother’s hand. “I… I don’t think I was myself.”  
“Son, it… it doesn’t matter! I… I am so proud of you. Thank you, thank you for protecting us.”  
“Is it true, ma?” Poseidon asked. “That this is a prophecy?  
“It’s always been true, son. Aidoneus is meant for great things. The fates are never wrong.”

_“Sotíras,”_ a soul whispered.  
Hades became alert, seeing the edges of the shadows shifting in their living room.

* * *

_“How shall we punish him, Sotíras?”_

A tear rolled down Hades’ cheek. It blended in with the stars that swirled across his face. The change in sensation jarred the young god from his thoughts. He wasn’t home. This wasn’t three years ago. Apollo was trembling in fear, paralyzed under the grip of the shades that he couldn’t see.

“Not today,” he commanded, his feet touching the pavement once again. “Consider this a warning, Apollo. Do not fuck with me, my family, or anyone that I care for, ever again.”

Hades willed his bident back to its place of dormancy and walked away from Apollo. As he left, the souls that were twined and tangled in the car soon followed, slinking back to their hidden spaces along the curb and in the trees. Apollo, sensing that he was able to move again, immediately turned the key in the ignition, and the engine roared to life. He drove far enough to make a U-turn, and sped out of the neighborhood, tires squealing.

“That’ll teach him,” Hades shakily joked. Cerberus trailed behind him, flames flicking across his fur as he shrank back down to his dane size.   
_“Sotíras,”_ a soul whispered.  
“It’s okay, we’ve caused enough trouble today. I’ll see you later tonight when I check in for work. You guys better go before we really piss Charon off.”  
 _“As you wish Sotíras.”_

Hades hummed to himself as he continued to walk home. Although he did his best to avoid losing his temper, it was still satisfying to show Apollo that he was more than just the insults thrown at him.

“Oh! Guess what, boy?”  
Cerberus whuffed in response, dejected that he was not able to do any further damage.  
“Don’t fuss at me, it’s a good thing. I… I met a girl.”  
Cerberus stopped, tilting his head inquisitively.  
“She’s really pretty, and she’s a… she’s a goddess too.”  
The dog barked, wagging his tail happily to hear the good news. The young god smiled in response.  
“Yea, I think so too. I hope I get to see her again.”

Before he realized, he was at his front doorstep. Rhea stood on the porch while she waited for him, watering her potted pomelias.   
  
“My son!” she exclaimed happily.  
“Hi Ma!” he called, dashing up the steps to wrap her in a hug.

  


  


  


  


  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sotíras: Savior  
> fýlax: keeper
> 
> my heartfelt thanks to Lu and T for their beta services as always. 
> 
> i don't have adequate words to express how hard i worked on this chapter, or how strongly i wanted to make sure that i had something comforting to read prior to and immediately following this. the next update is ready to go for sure. but still, Hades' backstory is important for this fic. and i promise, i'm here to hold your hand through all of the angst and the feels. (hope you liked the humor though; that was for two people and two people _only_ lol)
> 
> thank you for reading.


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